Automatic stop for railroad rolling stock



June 13, 1950 c. BROTHERS EI'AL 2,510,954

AUTOMATIC STOP FOR RAILRbAD ROLLING STOCK Filed Nov. 26, 1947 INVENTOR.

LEONARD CHARLES BROTHERS WILLIAM ARTHUR SHEETZ ATTOR Y Patented June 13, 1950 U NIT E D S TATES PAT EN T CE Leonard CharlesBrothers, Lewisberry, and WilliamArthur Sheetz, Harrisburg, Pa.

--'-Applicati0n November 26, 1947,-Serial No. 788,303

Claims. (Cl. 104-257) (Granted under the'act of March 3, 1883,'as

amended:.-April. 30, 1928; 3700. G. 757) This invention relates to "anautomatlc wheel chock, and has for an object to provide an improved means for automatically chocking the wheels of a railroad vehicle to limitand stop its movement in a desired direction, yet release it i for movement in the opposite direction,'without the need for manual operation in placing the chock in position, while at the" same time, leaving the rail surface free of any obstructionwhen the railroad car or locomotive is not in position.

Many shop and. factory floors have railroad tracks located therein whereon railroad cars and locomotives come from time to time, to deliver raw or partly complete material, and to pick up more completely finished material for transportation elsewhere. At the same time, the floor surface through which the tracks extend must be kept clear of obstructions for the safe passage of the personnel or of surface "vehicles, hence it is not desirable to place permanent chocks in position for limiting the travel'of the railroad vehicle, and it therefore has been the custom to manually place temporary'chocks in position wherever needed, with the attendant risk to the personnel performing such operation, and the additional danger-that the chock may not be placed in position when needed, due to human fallibility,-with theresultant danger that shop and factory equipment maybe damaged by drifting rail vehicles.

'It is an object of this invention'to'eliminate such danger both to personnel and to equipment by providing an-automatic chock-that remains below floor level when the rail car is not present, and wherein the actionof the rail car inarriving is sufficient to bring the chock into operative position to limit the further advance of the rail car, and then, when the rail car is withdrawn, it automatically retracts the chock back to below floor level.

With the foregoing" and other objects in view, as will hereinafter become apparent, this invention comprises the combinations, constructions and arrangement of parts hereinafter disclosed, set forth and illustrated on the accompanying drawings, wherein,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the automatic chock of this invention in operative chockingposition;

Fig. 2 is an exploded isometric view;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation, and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view 'on line"44 of Fig.3.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the chock.

There is shown at ill a 'conventionaltrack rail having its wheel-carryingsurface- I l- -located at the'same level as the shop fioor level. The automatic *wheelchock of this invention includesa wheel chock 12 adapted to be placed" in wheelstopping position on the railsurface II to stop the railroad car wheel and prevent the carfrom passing thereby. This invention is so contrived that the first wheel l4 passes the chock I2 and operates the chock l2 automatically to prevent the secondwheel le-from passing-and then the first wheel M 'onrepassing in the opposite direction causesthe chock I2 60- be withdrawn from the rail surface II and drop to or below the floor level, ready for immediate and automatic operation the next time a rail car wheel passes thereover.

The automatic chock includes a supporting plate 5- which is welded or otherwise secured against the rail web I! in an appropriate location. This plate Iii-is provided with a pair of spaced steps l8 leading 'to a depressed floor 29. Angularly securedgas by welding, to the .sideof the plate l6 away from the rail ill and alongside each step l8 are a pair of sheets=2l .extending upwardly to about the top level. oftheplate l5.

The wheel chock l2 is shaped-as shown, having an arcuate-surface 22 provided with a pair of bronze bearing pads. 23 against which the second wheel l5 rests in stopping position. The chock I2 is integrally formed with an offset-depending fiange 24 extending down below the bottom of its arcuatesurface 22, and welded or otherwise secured to the inner surface of this depending flange24 isa roller 25 arrangedv to have its ends bear on the steps lBbehind the angular sheets 2|. The top of thisflange 24 is also provided with an arcuate surface .25, concentric with but of greater radius than arcuate surface 22 and is eintendedto receive thev rail wheel flange 21. The fioor 20 is at a level to permit the flange-24 to overlie it when the chock is swung down.

Extending from the top of the end of the chock I2 is an angular toe 28 having its: rear surface 30 forming-an angle of about 130 with the sides of the chock l2. Pivoted on -a stud 3| extending through astud support 32 into the plate 16 rearwardly of thechock l2 is an'actuat- 'ing lever 33, 'shapedas shown, with a cylindrical arm 34 arranged to move along the outer surface 35 of the depending flange 24 of wheel chock-12, and a bowed leaf arm 36 having its' upper surface no higher than the'floor or railsurface l l.

The shop floor will be recessed between the tracks just enough to receive the chock 12in the-reclining position, and the-chockd2=is o! such thickness that its inner surface, when in upright position, is at or slightly below floor level when in reclining position. In addition, a similar wheel chock, a duplicate of this, but reversed right for left, may be placed on the other rail track at the corresponding point on such other track.

In operation, the first rail wheel l4 passes the location of the wheel chock i2 in reclining position without touching any part thereof, passes over the pivot stud 3i and its flange rides on and depresses the bowed leaf arm 36 of actuating lever 33, causing the cylindrically shaped arm 34 to move up along the outer surface 35 of wheel chock l2. This pivots the chock l2 about its roller 25 and raises it to a position to rest on the rail surface I i in time to chock or stop the second wheel l5 and prevent its passage thereby. When the rail car is being withdrawn, the first wheel flange again passes over the bowed lever arm 36 in the opposite direction, which, beyond having its actuating arm 34 raised up and then dropped, performs no function. The flange of the first wheel M then abuts and rides along the angular surface 30 of the chock toe 28, causing the chock 12 to pivot over on its roller 25 and drop over on its side, away from the obstructing position, but resting over the actuating lever arm 33 ready to be again raised into chockin position when next a rail wheel passes thereover. As a further feature, it will be noted that the construction is such that the chock I2 and its roller 25 can be removed and replaced by merely lifting it out of the recess between the bearing steps I8, thus enabling the part receiving most wear and strain to be inexpensively replaced when necessary, without disturbing the remaining parts, and at practically no labor expense.

Other modifications and changes in the number, construction and arrangement of the parts may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the nature of this invention within the scope of what is hereinafter claimed.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

Having thus set forth and disclosed the nature of this invention, what is claimed is:

l. A rail wheel chock apparatus comprising a wheel chock, means for pivoting said wheel chock along side a rail in fixed position longitudinally thereof, means actuatable by a rail wheel passing thereover to pivot said chock to a position obstructing the next rail wheel attempting to pass such position, said actuable means including an actuating lever pivoted along side the rail, said lever having one arm arranged to be depressed by the first rail wheel passing thereover and a second arm arranged under the chock to raise the chock to obstructing position against a second rail wheel as said first arm is depressed.

2. A rail wheel chock apparatus comprising a wheel chock, means for pivoting said wheel chock along side a rail, means aotuable by a rail passing thereover to pivot said chock to a position obstructing the next rail wheel attempting to pass such position, said actuatable means including an actuating lever pivoted along side the rail, said chock pivoting means including a pivot roller having its longitudinal axis extending parallel to the rail, a supporting plate secured along side the rail, a bearing for said roller formed in said supporting plate comprising a pair of longitudinally spaced apart steps and means secured to said plate holding said roller against transverse displacement therefrom, but open at the top and permitting vertical removal and replacement.

3. A rail wheel chock apparatus comprising a wheel chock, means for pivoting said wheel chock along side a rail, means actuatable by a rail wheel passing thereover to pivot said chock to a position obstructing the next rail wheel attempting to pass such position, said actuatable means including an actuating lever pivoted along side the rail, said chock pivoting means including a pivot roller having its longitudinal axis extending parallel to the rail, a supporting plate secured along side the rail, a bearing for said roller formed in said supporting plate comprising a pair of longitudinally spaced apart steps and means secured to said plate holding said roller against transverse displacement therefrom, but open at the top and permitting vertical removal and replacement, said actuating lever including means pivoting said lever to said supporting plate, said lever comprising an arm extending from one side of its pivot and arranged to rest under said wheel chock when in reclining position and to raise said chock to wheel obstructing position, and an arcuately bowed arm extending from the other side of its pivot and arranged to be depressed by a rail wheel as it passes thereover to raise said arm and its supported wheel chock.

l. An automatic rail wheel chock comprising a wheel chock, means for pivoting said wheel chock along side a rail, means actuatable by a rail wheel passing thereover to pivot said chock to a position obstructing the next rail wheel attempting to pass such position, said actuatable means including an actuating lever pivoted along side the rail, said chock pivoting means including a pivot roller having its longitudinal axis extending parallel to the rail, a supporting plate secured along side the rail, a bearing for said roller formed in said supporting plate comprising a pair of longitudinally spaced apart steps and means secured to said plate holding said roller against transverse displacement therefrom, but open at the top and permitting vertical removal and replacement, said actuating lever including means pivoting said lever to said supporting plate, said lever comprising an arm extending from one side of its pivot and arranged to rest under said wheel chock when in reclining position and to raise said chock to wheel obstructing position, and an arcuately bowed arm extending from the other side of its pivot and arranged to be depressed by a rail wheel as it passes thereover to raise said arm and its supported wheel chock, said wheel chock including a wheel chocking forward arcuate surface and an angular rear surface arranged, when in wheel obstructing position, to extend across the path of a rail wheel approaching from the rear side and be contacted by such approaching wheel to pivot said chock from wheel obstructing position to reclining position resting on said actuating lever arm ready for a subsequent automatic wheel chocking actuation.

5. A rail wheel chock apparatus comprising a wheel chock, means for pivoting said wheel chock along side a rail with its upper surface no higher than that of the rail, means actuatable by a rail wheel passing thereover to pivot said chock to a position obstructing a rail wheel attempting to pass such position, said actuatable means including an actuating lever pivoted along side the rail, said lever having one arm no higher than the uppermost rail surface and arranged to be depressed by the flange of a rail wheel passing thereover and a. second arm arranged under the chock to raise the chock to obstructing position against a rail wheel as said first arm is depressed.

LEONARD CHARLES BROTHERS. WILLIAM ARTHUR SHEETZ.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 10 Number 

